Assessment of the Possibility of Vertical Transmission of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Background: The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has put a great burden on global health and healthcare systems. There is controversy regarding the possibility of vertical transmission of COVID-19. The proposed systematic review aims  to assess the possibility of vertical transmission of COVID-19 based on currently published literature. Methods: This study will be conducted on all published observational studies, including cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies, as well as case reports, and case series, in peer reviewed journals in any language until the end of July 2020. Editorials, commentaries and letter to editors will be excluded from the review. Search will be conducted in international bibliographic databases including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science based on preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) checklist. The search strategy will be improved and finalized based on the results of the primary search. Data extraction of the included articles will be performed by two researchers using the Zotero and review manager (revMan) software. Heterogeneity of the articles will be assessed using DerSimonian & Laird Q test and I2 statistic. The pooled estimated prevalence of vertical transmission of COVID-19 will be performed using the Metaprop command. Publication bias will be assessed using the Beggchr('39')s rank correlation and the Egger weighted regression methods. Conclusions: The findings of this study will help practitioners and health care providers in decision making for the care and management of COVID-19 infected pregnant women.